Door straightening tool



Feb. 28, 1956 J. R. BOWMAN DOOR STRAIGHTENING TOOL Filed July '7, 1952INVENTOR. dosEPH RUSSEL BOWMAN BY 2 ATTORNEY.

This invention relates to a door straightening tool or machine and hasfor its object the provision of a tool or machine adapted for use inrepairing automobile body panels and doors by the method of stretchingthem. By attaching a suitable mechanism to a damaged automobile bodydoor or panel and stretching it, it has been shown that the frame ormargin of the panel can be restored to its original shape relieving thesurface of the panel of the compression which has caused it to buckle oroil can and permitting it to snap back into its original condition. Afew sharp creases which frequently occur may then be ironed out with asoft hammer and the job is complete, frequently without even removingthe interior trim from the door.

An object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which islight andportable so that it may be handled by one man and yet strong enough toexert large forces on the workpiece.

' Another object is to provide a tool which is adaptable to panels ofwidely varying shapes e. g. having deep curvature or having offsets suchas occur when a portion of a fender line is incorporated into a door.

Still another object is to provide a machine which may be clampeddiagonally across a door or panel and also to provide a tool having aswiveling head so that it may be clamped to marginal portions which donot lie in parallel planes.

It is also my object to provide clamps having a positive action wherebyslippage is avoided, and it is still another object to provide a toolwhich is quickly adjustable to panels of different widths but in whichthese adjustments will not slip and which may be made secure by the useof ordinary mechanics tools and wrenches. 7

Other objects and desirable combinations andarrangements of parts willbecome obvious upon reading the following description and examining theattached drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectionalong the line 1--1 of Figure 2 through one embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a left end elevation of the device of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a right end elevation of the device of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, my novel door straightening machineconsists of a crank attached to a screw 12 threaded into a nut 14. Thenut 14 is welded into the end of a guide tube 16. Sliding in the guidetube 16 is a push rod 18, made tubular for lightness, an abutment 20 forthe screw 12 is welded into one end, and another tube 22 is press fittedinto the other end of the push rod 18. The tube 22 adds strength andstiffness at the point of greatest load on the push rod.

Adjustable along the length of the guide tube 16 is a vise 24 comprisinga fixed jaw 26, having a semi-cylindrical recess fitted to the tube andreleasably clamped there- States PatentO to by a cap 28, having asimilarly fitted semi-cylindrical recess and secured to the fixed jaw 26by studs 30 and nuts 32, and a moveable jaw 34 in the form ofarelatively narrow flat steel bar adapted to be clamped to the fixed jawby a bolt 36, passing approximately through the center of the moveablejaw 34, and a nut 38. Each jaw is provided with a hardened and serratedor toothed plate 40 welded thereto at the point where contact is to bemade with the automobile doors.

A somewhat similar vise 42 is removably, swivelably adjustably andslidably attached to the endof the push rod by one of a pair of sockettubes 44 and 46 preferably of the same size as the guide tube 16 andhaving abutments or plugs 48 welded in their ends and themselves beingwelded together and to the fixed jaw 50 of the vise 42 as clearlyillustrated in the drawings. The vise 42 also has a moveable jaw 34clamped to the fixed jaw by a bolt 36 and a nut 38 and both jaws of thisvise are also provided with the toothed plates 40.

The fixed jaws 26 and 50 of both vises are formed with raised portions52 arcuate in form and generally centered about the clamp bolts 36.These raised portions form fulcrums for the moveable jaws and theirarcuate form permits swiveling of these jaws, as shown in dot and dashlines, to facilitate clamping to irregularly shaped doors or to permitclamping the device to a door diagonally.

The two sockets are provided so that the lower one 44, may be used onrelatively straight fiat surfaces to provide a minimum overhang of thejaws and thereby a minimum deflection and stress on the push rod 18 andguide tube 16, and the upper one 46 may be used on doors having offsetsor large curvatures.

In operation, the device is clamped to the damaged door with the screwin its outermost position so that socket 44 or 46, whichever is used,.is in abutting relationship with the guide tube 16, and with theadjustable vise 24 being first released by its clamp nuts 32 and movedto the proper position to engage the edge of the door opposite to theedge to which the vise 42 is attached. Skill and experience will dictatethe location of the jaws and they may be straight across the door,angularly across the door or diagonally across the corner formed byadjacent edges of the door. The crank 10 is rotated to screw the screw12 into the nut 14 and push the push rod 18 through the guide tube 16and thereby force the two vises 24 and 42 apart. The tension thusapplied to the door tends to draw out the dent and also straightens outthe edges of the door and the door frame so that the oil-canningtendency is eliminated. It may be necessary or desirable to place thedevice successively in more than one position on the door and exert acertain amount of tension as dictated by the skill of the operator. Inextreme cases, two or more of the devices might be mounted.

on a door simultaneously. The double-dot dash lines 56 and 58 illustratea damaged door in the machine and the triple dot dash lines 54illustrate the door successfully restored.

It will be noted that, if the margins of the door or panel being workedon are not in parallel planes, the sockets 46 or 44 may freely swivelabout the push rod 18 or the push rod may swivel in the guide tube 16 topermit the jaws to align themselves properly with these edges.Similarly, if the device is placed angularly across a door or panel, themoveable jaws 34 of the vises may swivel about their respective clampbolts 36 so as to get a satisfactory grip as previously described andillustrated in dot and dash lines in Figure 2.

While only one embodiment of my invention has been illustrated anddescribed in detail, it will become obvious to those skilled in the artthat other embodiments and changes might be made within the spirit of myinvention and, therefore, it is not my intention to be limited to thisone embodiment, or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tool comprising an elongated guide tube, a push rod in said guidetube and extending beyond the end thereof, a vise adjustably clampedalong said guide tube, a second vise provided with a socket generally inalignment with said second vise and adapted to receive the end of saidpush rod whereby it is removably secured to said push rod and swivelableabout the axis thereof and means for forcibly moving said push rodwithin the guide tube for separating said vises, said last named meanscomprising a screw threaded into the end of said guide tube and engagingsaid push rod.

2. A tool comprising an elongated guide tube, a push rod in said guidetube and extending beyond the end thereof, a vise adjustably clampedalong said guide tube, a second vise provided with a plurality ofsockets generally in alignment with said second vise and adapted Y toreceive the end of said push rod whereby it is adjustably and removablysecured to said push rod and swivelable about the axis thereof and meansfor forcibly moving said push rod within the guide tube for separatingsaid vises.

3. A tool comprising an elongated guide tube, a push rod in said guidetube and extending beyond the end thereof, a vise adjustably clampedalong said guide tube, a second vise provided with a plurality ofsockets generally in alignment with said second vise and adapted toreceive the end of said push rod whereby it is adjustably and removablysecured to said push rod and swivelable about the axis thereof and meansfor forcibly moving said push rod within the guide tube for separatingsaid Vises, said last named means comprising a screw threaded into theend of said guide tube and engaging said push rod.

4. A tool comprising an elongated guide tube, a push rod in said guidetube and extending beyond the end thereof, a vise having fixed andmoveable jaws adjustably clamped along said guide tube, a second visehaving fixed and moveable jaws and a socket generally in alignment withthe opening of said jaws and adapted to receive the end of said push rodwhereby it is removably secured-to said push rod and swivelable aboutthe axis thereof, said fixed jaws each being provided with a clamp boltand an arcuate abutment centered around said clamp bolt and saidmoveable jaws each being swivelable about its respective clamp bolt tofulcrum on the arcuate abutments in a plurality of positions, and meansfor forcibly moving said push rod within the guide tube for separatingsaid VlSCS.

5. A tool comprising an elongated guide tube, a push rod in said guidetube and extending beyond the end thereof, a vise having fixed andmoveable jaws adjust ably clamped along said guide tube, a second visehaving fixed and moveable jaws and a plurality of sockets generally inalignment with the opening of said jaws and adapted to receive the endof said push rod whereby it is adjustably and removably secured to saidpush rod and swivelable about the axis thereof, said fixed jaws eachbeing provided with a clamp bolt and an arcuate abutment centered aroundsaid clamp bolt and said moveable jaws each being swivelable about itsrespective clamp bolt to fulcrum on the arcuate abutments in a pluralityof positions, and means for forcibly moving said push rod within theguide tube for separating said vises.

6. A tool comprising an elongated guide tube, a push rod in said guidetube and extending beyond the end thereof, a vise having fixed andmoveable jaws adjustably clamped along said guide tube, a second visehaving fixed and moveable jaws and a socket generally in alignment withthe opening of said jaws and adapted to receive the end of said push rodwhereby it is removably secured to said push rod and swivelable aboutthe axis thereof, said fixed jaws each being provided with a clamp boltand an arcuate abutment centered around said clamp bolt and saidmoveable jaws each being swivelable about its respective clamp bolt tofulcrum on the arcuate abutments in a plurality of positions, and meansfor forcibly moving said push rod within the guide tube for separatingsaid vises, said last named means comprising a screw threaded into theend of said guide tube and engaging said push rod.

7. A tool comprising an elongated guide tube, a push rod in said guidetube and extending beyond the end thereof, a vise having fixed andmoveable jaws adjustably clamped along said guide tube, a second visehaving fixed and moveable jaws and a plurality of sockets generally inalignment with the opening of said jaws and adapted to receive the endof said push rod whereby it is adjustably and removably secured to saidpush rod and swivelable about the axis thereof, said fixed jaws eachbeing provided with a clamp bolt and an arcuate abutment centered aroundsaid clamp bolt and said moveable jaws each being swivelable about itsrespective clamp bolt to fulcrum on the arcuate abutments in a pluralityof positions, and means for forcibly moving said push rod within theguide tube for separating said Vises, said last named means comprising ascrew threaded into the end of said guide tube and engaging said pushrod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS808,920 Heely et al. Jan. 2, 1906 1,120,798 Duecker Dec. 15, 19141,624,090 Blaine et al. Apr. 12, 1927 2,463,966 Hauschild Mar. 8, 1949FOREIGN PATENTS 808,920 Great Britain Jan. 2, 1906

